A/N: Okay so first off the bat I have to apolgize that it has taken me this long to release this chapter. Good news it wasn't on purpose. I was in a car accident last week end, got hit by a drunk driver. I'm okay, just a little whip lash but okay for the most part. Still the major part of my week has been spent on the phone with the insurance company and in and out of my Chiropractors office. I had planned to edit it the day of my accident but that obviously didn't happen. I just finish it last night and am posting it now. I hope you like it because things take a big turn here.
Chapter seventeen
I wasn't sure what was going through my mind when I choice to wear the beige silk shirt with the frills and the tan suit. It was tight in places that actually made it look like I had some type of shape. And I was even more bewildered when I left me apartment in the black and tan snake skin Prada heels that made me feel like my ankles would break at any moment. But when I finally came to my senses I was already the cab and I was running late. There was no going back.
I went straight to Wisner because our meeting was the first thing on Mr. Cullen's agenda. Yes, he was back to Mr. Cullen. I was the first to arrive and was placed in a waiting room. I was a nervous wreck sitting in the comfy chair, my ankles crossed and my back straight. I still didn't understand why Mr. Cullen had asked me here. There was nothing that I could do for him here. Business was his area of expertise and unless he was bringing me along to keep notes like a court room stenographer I was dead weight.
That was my final conclusion as the door opened and Edward, i mean Mr. Cullen stepped in wearing a deep blue suit, so crisp, so clean it was hard not to stare. I was thrown off when he spotted me and smiled.
"Morning Bella," He grinned before he eyed me up and down.
I stared at him as if I believed an alien from out of space had some how taken over his body. Which actually made more sense right at this moment.
He chuckled at me. "You look nice." And before I could stop myself the words came.
"Do you have a multiple personality disorder?"
"I don't think so?" One of his eyebrows arched in a boyish manner.
"Are you talking to me now?" He stopped and for a moment I saw the scene that I saw every time I said something out of line but he only smiled as if he was somehow uneasy and stated.
"Yeah about that. We need to talk."
Suddenly the door opened and the secretary that had lead me here was there.
"They're ready." she voiced.
I watched Edward close his eyes and sigh. He appeared somewhat frustrated by the fact that she'd interrupted him but he nodded and followed her from the room. I too took a moment before I moved behind him.
We were seated in another room, a much too large conference room with the three men that were waiting for us. I watched as Edward shook hands with each of them and introduced me, as his assistant of course. I caught the sting of the words but it was gone as fast as it had come.
"Well let's begin," the eldest man said and motioned for us to be seated.
Originally I wasn't aware of the purpose of this meeting but the more I listened the more I was starting to understand. Edward was planning on purchasing a hotel.
What for was the question?
Edward was rich enough and just his name would draw attention to the large building. It was old, but very beautiful from the photo's spread across the table but I was sure after Edward got his hands on it, it would be esquisite. The other thing I was wondering was why the deal was taking so long. Wisner wanted the property off his hands but they had been going back and fought for weeks, each party drawing up different offers to please the other. It was the one piece of work that kept me working late into the evening.
However even through all of this I couldn't take my eyes off Edward. He was amazing. No wonder he was who he was. No one was better than he was at what he did. Watching him negotiate was like watching the sun set on a island in the middle of the pacific.
Breathtaking. He not only handled himself with dignity but he showed it to his counterparts as well, listening fully when he needed and giving quality feedback.
It was hard not being attracted to him in that moment. Not that I wasn't any other time, but it was different now. Are problem hadn't been resovled though it might have been if that women hadn't interrupted. I had an odd feeling that what Mr. Cullen wanted to say was the apology I had been waiting to hear. Probably for leading me into thinking that we could ever be friends. That had been a bad idea from the beginning. I had already know that it was, and it hadn't been what I wanted at first but I had gotten so tangled into his web that it actually felt safe for a moment. It was as if I were an alcoholic and he'd handed me a glass of my favorite liquor, letting me taste it and then shutting me in a room without it to starve. Or maybe a heroine addict was better.
Omg, Edward was like my heroine. Even though I knew he wasn't good for me I still wanted him.
I closed my eyes. I couldn't bear to think about it anymore. I was driving myself crazy and it was doing no good to keep wishing and hoping that things weren't what they were.
"What do you think Bella," My eyes snapped open when I heard my name. I opened them to find eight eyes staring at me. Shit, I thought. I hadn't been listening too distracted by Edwards prefectness, if that was even a word.
"Uh…" I probed to buy me some time to think. Nothing came. I had absolutely no idea what I was being asked and in the heat of the moment I said the only thing that came.
"Yes" but instead of the statement it was suppose to be, is sounded more like a question I was asking myself.
Edward smiled. He appeared so childlike gazing at me with innocent eyes. My heart melted.
"Yes," He repeated.
"Yes, " I nodded. " You..um.."
"You think I should do it," He added. I glanced around before I came to realize that everyone was smiling. Something must of happened that everyone liked which made my next answer a statement.
"Yes, it a good deal." And I prayed that it was or my ass was on the chopping block. Edward smiled again and I couldn't help but return it. He turned back to John Wisner.
"Looks like I've got myself a hotel."
I breathed a sigh of relief as we said good bye to Mr. Wisner, his eldest son Robert Wisner and Thomas Turner, Mr. and Mr. Wisner's attorney. Edward and I were waiting for the elevator, which had to be the longest wait in the history of man kind.
"That went better than expected. Thank you."
I eyed Edward beside me. He seemed to be on cloud nine. Well I would be too if I had just gotten what I'd desired. However I hadn't and I might never. Plus I was still irritated by the fact that he thought it was suddenly okay to be nice to me. Well it wasn't. He'd ignored me for the first half of this week and not his smile, or my small lapse of self control in the conference room would fix that.
But I was curious as to why he was thanking me when I did nothing.
"What for?"
"For coming. And for writing up that draft. They were rather pleased with it." I only nodded. I hadn't realized that the draft contract that I had written up was the one they had chosen. Wow, maybe that business class I took way back when wasn't such a bust after all. Maybe I was better at this than I thought. The only down side was my schizophrenic boss.
I continued to watch as the lights lit up above the elevator showing us where the elevator was currently at. Only the twenty second floor? God it was taking too long to get to the thirteenth floor where we were.
"You don't look happy." He asked. I almost laughed. Really, I thought. I wonder why? But I had to keep my composer. I had to keep my job.
"Do I?" I tried to sound pleasant but I was never good at fooling others. I just hoped it was enough to by enough time for the elevator to reach our floor.
He nodded. "What time is it." He glanced at his watch.
"Almost eleven. Do you want to grab an earlier lunch?" He grinned and for a moment I forgot what it was I was frowning for. That didn't last long.
I shook my head turning back to watch the glowing numbers again.
"Sorry I already promised Mike that I'd go with him." I lied. I hadn't promised anyone anything, except myself that I wasn't going to fall for Edward's nice guy act again this time.
It happened so fast that I almost didn't see it but I could have sworn I saw Edwards body tense up.
"So what's going on between you too." His question caught me off guard and I wasn't sure I had even heard him right.
"I'm sorry, what did you say?" I turned to him.
"Are you two dating?" He stared straight ahead.
"Huh?" I was really having a hard time understanding the words and if I'd heard them right. Why would he think that I was dating Mike?
He frowned and turned away.
"Never mind. This is taking too long. I'm taking the stairs." I watched his back as he vanished through to doors to the stairwell.
I could feel my temperature rise. What the hell was going on? What was his problem? Seriously? One minute he was this great person and the next he was tense and moody. Honestly, his mood swings were enough to give me wipe lash.
And normally I would have let this go. Normally I would have turned away and waited for the elevator but this was not normal circumstances. I had put up with this for far too long and it was time to find out what was causing Edward to walk on egg shells. I followed him, and for a moment I didn't understand how I had made it across the room without tripping but I wasn't focused on that.
"Is that what this is all about? All this time you've ignoreing me because you think Mike and I are going out?"
I burst through the doors. He was already turning the corner to go down the second set of stairs.
"Well aren't you?"
"What are you talking about." I yelled down at him.
"You know what I'm talking about." He muttered. I barely heard him.
"If I did would I be asking you?" I snapped. I hadn't meant too, but I couldn't hold back anymore. I was angry and he was the cause. My self control was out the door.
"Could you please tell me what this is all about?" I asked still chasing him. It was harder to follow him down the stairs in heels. And I was so out of shape.
"I'm talking about you and him." He sounded angry but I still didn't understand why? Why was he angry at me.
"Him? Are you talking about Mike? What does he have to do with anything?"
He stopped thankfully because I was going to break my neck if he continued. I had managed to the use the rail to keep my balance though.
"Am I to believe that you are so naive that you don't know what it is I'm talking about. Why I've been acting this way?"
"YES!," I snapped then his words sunk in. "Wait, No!" He started spiraling down again.
"Edward please…" I called after him. He didn't stop. I was starting to understand what he was saying even though it was still unknown to me why this was causing him to lose his cool and Edward Cullen never lost his head.
It felt like he was picking up speed because he was getting further and further away, like he was actually running away from me. I was astonished. I never pictured that Edward would be a man that would run away from anyone, especially little ol' me.
"There is nothing going on with me and Mike." He continued on.
I was panting now and I was starting to get little headed but I wouldn't let him leave, not like this.
"You have to believe me. Nothing is going on between us."
He stopped then still with his back to me.
"Does he know that?" His tone is dripping with sarcasm.
"YES!"
He didn't even turn to look at me, though I was sure I looked a mess. We had to have climb down ten flight of stairs.
I knew then that no matter what I said, nothing would change his mind. He'd some how come to believe that it was Mike that kept me up at night. That Mike occupied my every thought. How naive of me? No, how stupid of him.
I stopped there in the stair well about four steps up from him. There was no point in chasing him anymore. He didn't believe me.
But I was already tearing up so I closed my eyes to hold back as much as I could.
"Why won't you believe me." the words were more to myself.
"I really have no interest in Mike."
I heard him sigh and he actually sounded pained.
"I'm sorry." He breathed again. I still couldn't see him because I was scared to open my eyes. "It's really none of my business."
I opened them then. "You're right, it isn't" He had twisted up to look at me. And even as frustrated as I was with him, he still was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. This made it hard to actually be mad.
"But tell me the truth. Is there something between you two?"
"No," I choose the simple route, simply because there was nothing to explain or more to say. I knew that Mike might like me, but I had never encouraged his feelings and never would. Nothing would ever be between Mike and me.
He stared up at me for a moment.
"I believe you." Edward stated. "And I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?" He took one step up towards me. I stared down at him. I already knew I would but it was hard trying to go back. He'd actually hurt me when he ignored my existence.
But I still wanted to know that if his attitude this entire week had been because he thought there was something going in with Mike and I. I couldn't believe that it was. Edward wouldn't have cared that much.
"Why do you care?" I stated.
I watched as he slipped one hand into his pocket as he chuckled to himself.
"You know, I really don't know." He chuckled again then he turned his eyes to me. "All I know I didn't like the thought of you two together."
For some reason his words made my heart flutter in my chest and he was close enough to probably hear it being that he was only one step down from me. For the time ever we were actually the same height.
I felt in that moment like a huge weight had been lifted from me. Finally things could return to normal and normal was better than anything. I smiled.
"If I forgive you, where does that leave us?" I eyed him. He smiled my favorite smile and my heart melted.
"If you want to try again, I would really like for us to be friends."
"Friends?" I asked and he nodded. I noticed that I was standing quite awkwardly on the step, one foot on the level I was at and the other bent back on the higher step behind me. I only noticed because the foot were all the pressure was on started to hurt.
"I think I can do that." I smiled.
What happened next happened before I could actually finish the sentence. I moved my back foot forward but heel caught on the edge of the step, and I rocked back as if I was going to fall and instinctively I grabbed unto to Edwards shoulder to save myself but I didn't fall back as far as I'd thought and the next thing I realized was that I had pulled Edward with so much force that I pulled him into a kiss. So for the next four seconds our lips touched and a heat spread throughout my body.
I was the one who pulled back, but I couldn't speak, never mind breath. My mind was the only thing that was going at a million miles per hour.
Oh my god, Did I just kiss Edward Cullen?
Hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter won't take very long to be released because it's done for the most part. Let's just hope that nothing else happens to . Please Review and let me know what to think.
PS: If you haven't heard the song 'Hurtful' by Erik Hassle yet, you need to get it. It helped me finish this chapter for obvious reasons. He's amazingly talented...